"The Convention"

Next stop...Boise.

I've been in Boise for a couple days covering the D-League Showcase. It's basically a giant convention for NBA types to meet and mingle and scout the up and coming players. Usually one or two guys get pulled up to the NBA after this event. Each NBA team has to send one rep - scout/owner/coach to..well...represent. It's also a great place to be a single woman as I was probably one of 5 I saw floating around this arena filled with men. It's great for the self-esteem, although I realize as one of the assistants told me, "We're just so desperate for ANY woman after being with just men all week."

I've had a couple interesting meetings - a surprising amount of Michigan or Michigan state alum have been running around so I met and talked to Daniel Horton and Air Georgia, but the most interesting meeting was Mr. Sean Respert.

I was up in the player's lounge (sounds sweet huh? like it should be on BET or something)interviewing Mike Cuffee about his recent trade from Utah to Bakersfield. When we finished and I was wrapping up my equipment this guy from the front office was talking to us. I noticed his badge said Sean Respert, which sounded really familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Finally I said to him, "Hey, you played ball didn't you? Where did you play?" He responded that he didn't play and I said I was sure his name sounded familiar. Finally he said that maybe I meant his brother Mike Respert.

I didn't want to argue so I agreed and Sean said his brother played at Mich State. I said that was why it sounded so familiar, cause I was from Michigan. Then we started talking about all the people we knew from Pioneer and Huron and making some connections, and all the while I'm still believing that it's his brother Mike. I didn't realize until we left the lounge that I had been suckered. I did a google search on him and put all the pieces together. I'm kind of a sucker. I did bust him the next day when I saw him though and walked right up, looked him in the face and said, "You. Liar." He looked at me for a minute and then busted up laughing. "You believed me??" Funny for him.

Anyway, the good part is I got him to do an interview with me and he has an amazing story. He was a lottery pick and his rookie year in the NBA he found out he had cancer. He didn't tell anyone except his doctor and the trainer eventually found out. He wasn't scoring much and his play was unexceptional. Nobody knew that he was in chemotherapy, that he was sick half the time and had dropped 25 pounds. He just fought through the pain and stayed positive and in the process gained some perspective on what is really important in life. Now he shares that with the up and comers in the league. He said you don't know what to do with the information that you have cancer at the age of 22 when you're on your way.

I was super impressed with him and the way he interacts with people. It reminded me of Ryan and Dad's book "Lift." He calls everyone he meets by name and says something to make them feel good and smile and elevates the energy and positivity in every room he goes in. It's pretty inspiring.